Life in the Fast Lane
by fnl
Summary: What if Hyde had walked into the hotel room fifteen minutes earlier in Till the Last Goodbye? How would things be different if he'd had the chance to propose to Jackie? Final chapter posted.
1. Walk Away

_Notes: I own nothing. Song is "Walk Away" by Amanda Wilkinson. Some lines are taken directly from "Till the Next Goodbye" (7-25)  
_

_ So. I decided to try a short story as a bit of a writing exercise, just to keep me in practice. I'm going to try one chapter a day, which means that they'll probably be completely awful gramatically (just a disclaimer. I don't suck that badly. Hehe.), and since this is my first T70sS fic, probably a little off, too. Give me all the help you can (please!) because I haven't written a fanfic in quite a while. Oh, and I couldn't find a transcript for "Till the Next Goodbye", which is why the dialogue is probably a bit messed up._

_ I've also found that my writing tends to involve a lot of dialogue, and few descriptions, and it seems that one of the best things about this ship is describing them, and emotions, and stuff like that. So it's a bit of a stretch for me, but if you bear with me, that'd be great.  
_

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_Didn't you say that we were cut from the same cloth  
Ticking on the same clock,  
Something fine   
Didn't you say that no fire ever burned as hot as us  
Now you're saying goodbye_

_Walk away now, baby walk away.   
(Goodbye)  
Pretend you never said that you were mine   
(Goodbye)  
Walk away now, baby walk away.  
(Goodbye)  
Walk away if you're changed your mind  
(Goodbye)  
Walk away now, baby walk away.  
(Goodbye)  
Walk away if it was all a lie_

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As Jackie picked her issue of Cosmo up off her suitcase, she wondered vaguely where Michael was. He had left ten minutes earlier to get some ice from the machine in the lobby, something that would only take a normal person half that time. Settling onto the bed, she began flipping through the magazine, while trying to convert regular time into Michael time.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knocking at the door, and without looking up from her article, she told him to come in. The girl was momentarily paralysed when an unexpected voice cut off her impending lecture before it begun.

"Jackie."

Quickly recovering from her shock, she got off the bed, and approached the visitor, all thoughts of Michael and ice disappearing from her mind. "Steven," she said, crossing her arms over her chest, her heart speeding up. "What are you doing here?"

He shrugged, glancing around uncomfortably. "I heard you were in Chicago." His reply was met by raised eyebrows, so he hastily continued. "I thought I'd stop by."

She let out the breath she didn't realise she was holding. It was obvious he wasn't going to initiate anything; she was going to have to do all the work, as usual. "Steven, why are you here?" she asked tiredly, going to sit on the bed. He didn't respond, only stared at her as she sighed in frustration. "Wasn't getting passed out in a beer warehouse enough?" the dark haired girl exclaimed.

"No, listen -"

"I mean, am I so awful that my boyfriends didn't want to marry me? One ran to California, the other got pissed before the night he was supposed to give me his answer!"

"Jackie, you didn't wait for my answer!"

She knew he was getting annoyed, that it was probably hard enough for him to come after her, never mind have to put up with her preaching, but she was so sick of that same song and dance that all she could concentrate on was how it was always the same thing with them. She was sick of fighting with him, yet the hurt that had been flowing through her body since Eric had told her the condition of her ex boyfriend insisted she fight back. "You were passed out, drunk!" she yelled at him. "I think your answer is obvious!" Her eyes shone angrily.

"I did what anyone would do! We were in a beer warehouse! We would've been stupid not to have taken advantage of it!" His frustration and resentment was building. She ran off without waiting to talk to him; he chased after her. And now she was lecturing him? "Damnit, why can't you be happy that I followed you all the way to Chicago? You're the one who screwed up, Jackie!"

She closed her eyes briefly, as a wave of fatigue washed over her. All of a sudden, she was exhausted; the last few days had been overwhelming. She had been ready to begin a new life, and then he came walking in again. "Fine, Steven," she sighed, wanting to do nothing more than lie down and go to sleep. "I give up. Just tell me what you came here for, then you can go home and leave me in peace."

His eyes narrowed behind his glasses. "You want to know what I came here for?" he questioned, his voice hard. "This." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small box, and threw it onto the bed next to her. "But," he began, his voice getting colder. "I'll just leave you in peace."

Jackie's eyes widened as she glanced at the object lying next to her on the bed. "Wait," she said, her breath catching in her throat, her heart speeding up, and her hands beginning to shake. If she was right about what she thought was in that box, she didn't want him to leave.

Glancing up, she saw he had stopped walking, but wasn't facing her. Reaching over and opening the box, her heart leapt into her throat. "Oh my God," she whispered, as the diamonds caught the light and sparkled. "Steven, is this . . .?" Her weariness from a moment ago was gone now, replaced by pure anticipation.

"Yes," he replied stiffly, still not moving. "And you'd better forgive me now."

"Oh my God," she repeated, trying to control her breathing. "You're proposing! Yes!" she squealed. "Yes, I'll marry you!" He turned around, just as she threw herself at him, her arms around his neck, his lips on hers.

Pulling away from him, but holding onto both his hands, she began to excitedly spout off details about their future wedding, while tugging him towards the bed where the ring still laid. Picking up the box, she handed it to him, pausing only to look up at him expectantly.

"What?" he asked, looking at the ring, then at Jackie. "What do you want me to do with this?" Rolling her eyes, she stuck out her hand. Glancing between the three quickly, he cleared his throat. "Oh, right. Um . . . there."

With the ring on her finger, she grabbed his face and pulled it to hers for another kiss, before launching into more details. She couldn't help but glance at her left hand every few seconds, and the thrills that ran up and down her body when she saw the silver band reflect light. He stared at her for a moment, watching as her face constantly moved, forming new expressions and animating her plans, her hands gestured wildly to reinforce her ideas.

They were interrupted, however, when the door opened, and a voice came from behind Hyde. "Jackie, I checked, no one can see us doing it from the parking lot." When he realised who was in the room, Kelso let out a scream. Staying frozen to his spot, he glanced at the two other people, both of which were shooting him death glares.

Slowly, Hyde turned from the girl in front of him, to the man behind him, and back again. Behind his glasses, his eyes narrowed and grew cold. His jaw clenched as he stared down at the woman who was now – who had just become – his fiancé. Or not.

Turning around, he noticed for the first time that Kelso was wearing only a towel. Pain coursed through his body as he looked back at Jackie. "I should've known," he spat, before turning around and storming out of the room.


	2. It's Okay to Cry

_Notes: Don't own nothing. This song is "It's Okay to Cry" by Amanda Wilkinson. I tried to go a bit more into emotional detail this chapter, so it took quite a bit more revising. I hope you like it! Feel free to suggest anything, or point anything out that I'm doing wrong._

_ Thanks to everyone who reviewed! You guys made me smile each time!_

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_Somewhere along the way we're taught to keep it all together,  
We mask the pain we feel inside, to make everyone else feel better,  
You wrap your arms around yourself and bury all your sorrow,  
You can't hide from your emotions baby, they'll still be here tomorrow,  
If your heart won't let it flow,  
I want you to know,It's okay to cry (Everybody's gotta hurt sometime)  
Let those tear drops fly (Don't even try to dry your eyes)  
Don't keep it all inside (In the mornin' it'll be alright)  
It's okay to cry_

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_

Jackie felt her heart plummet the minute the door slammed. The anxiety was building up in her chest as she glanced towards Michael, who was still standing in the same place. Her eyes darted back and forth between his face and the fleeting glimpse she caught of Steven as he stormed past the hotel window.

One word to sum it up came to her mind. _Shit._

_Michael._ From the moment Steven walked in, she had forgotten all about the former and everything between them that had any potential of happening. She knew Steven was mad, that he had every right to be, and she knew she'd be lucky if she got the chance to talk to him again that evening. But it was worth a try.

"Steven!" she called, streaking past her former boyfriend, and flinging open the door only seconds after he slammed it. "Steven, wait!"

He was only about twenty paces in front of her, walking fast towards the El Camino. "Steven!" she yelled out again, rushing towards him as Michael cried out from the doorway.

"Does this mean we're not going to do it?"

Ignoring him, she chased after her fiancé the best she could with nothing but flimsly slippers on her feet. When she had almost caught up to him, she reached forward to grab his arm. "Steven," she pleaded for the fourth time. "Please, listen to me."

Violently, he yanked his arm away, turning around just long enough to snarl at her, "Lover boy's waiting," before turning and striding the last few steps to his vehicle.

She watched him go, breathing deeply, trying not to cry. She'd brought it on herself. She was the one who'd allowed Michael to stay in the hotel with her, she was the one who hadn't told Steven what was going on, she was the one who'd started the whole thing.

Jackie saw, through tear filled eyes, the El Camino leave the parking lot and speed off down the street. Sobs began to wrack her body as she realised the only man she trusted with her heart had just left her. After he'd proved he was willing to spend the rest of his life with her, he'd still left.

"Jackie!" Michael ran up beside her, apparently having watched the whole exchange. "Hyde's gone!" he exclaimed gleefully, wiggling his eyebrows.

Ignoring the disgust she felt towards him for being so tactless after having watched her get shot down, her mind began to work furiously, and a sudden resolve came over her. She'd finally gotten Steven to propose. He had finally shown her that he saw a future with her. It was her who Steven Hyde, the last person anyone would have expected commitment from, had a long-term relationship with. She had broken through his rough exterior and saw the person few people did.

And she'd be damned if she was going to let all that go.

"Michael," she ordered. "Put some clothes on and take me home."

_-------------------------------------------------------------------_

Donna had resigned to the fact that this was going to be a bad year. Her best friend left for Chicago because her boyfriend (presumably) didn't want to marry her, and her own boyfriend had run halfway around the world.

Oh, and one of her oldest friends had taken off that afternoon to chase after her best friend. Putting the juice back in the fridge, she snorted. This may shape up to be the worst year of her life. She took a sip from her glass, and leaned against the fridge, jerking violently when she heard the door swing open and an urgent, "Donna!" penetrated her thoughts.

"Jackie, what the hell?" she exclaimed, turning to face her friend. "I thought you were in Chicago!"

"I was!" the brunette wrung her hands anxiously. "And then Steven came in. And we fought a little bit, and then – oh my God, Donna!" she squealed, waving her hand quickly in front of the other girl's face. "He proposed!"

Her friend stared at her skeptically. "Hyde proposed?" she asked, staring suspiciously at the ring.

Jackie squealed again. "And he got down on one knee, and there was flowers, and -" she cut off when she noticed Donna's disbelieving look. "Okay, but it doesn't matter how it happened," she recovered quickly. "What matters is that it did."

The redhead finished her glass before responding. "That's great, Jackie," she said, dryly. "But then why are you here?"

Her eyes darkened as she replied. "Michael walked in on us. Wearing nothing but a towel."

"Jackie," Donna began slowly, as if talking to someone half her age. "Why was Kelso in your room wearing nothing but a towel?" She felt the dread beginning to rise inside her. She was hoping everything was going to work out between the two. Now things were beginning to look a little more complicated.

She started wringing her hands again, while moving to sit down at the table. "I don't know," she cried desperately. "I felt so alone! You wouldn't know that feeling," she added condescendingly to the redhead now sitting across from her as the latter rolled her eyes. "Since you've never been out of Point Place. But Michael was there, Donna. And he was familiar; he was someone from home. Someone I knew. And if I just happened to need something familiar, and he just happened to be horny at the time . . ."

"He's always horny, Jackie!" Donna interjected. "I don't believe you'd do that! How did you think Hyde would feel when he found out? Which he would've!" she added hastily, noting the look on her friend's face.

"I don't know, Donna," the brunette wailed, putting her head in her hands. "I just needed something comforting, and Michael was there; he was there, and I know him, and I thought that maybe if I had sex with him, that it would be like it was when I was still with him, and maybe, if only for a little while, I'd forget that Steven didn't want to marry me! That I'd forget I was all alone and on my own in Chicago! And then Steven came in, and I forgot all about Michael, then he walked in on us . . . This is such a big mess!"

Just thinking about what happened made Jackie want to crawl in a hole and stay there. She couldn't believe she'd done that. She knew how it felt to be cheated on, how it felt to know that the one you love most had – or was going to have – sex with someone else. _But__this isn't the same thing_, she tried to reassure herself. Her and Steven were broken up when she told Michael he could stay. She'd given Hyde an ultimatum, and he made his choice. _You made it for him, _the voice in the back of her head taunted, and she squeezed her eyes shut tight, trying not to remember how it had felt when he had cheated on her; trying not to think that that was how he must be feeling now, where ever he was.

"Right," the other girl replied, interrupting her thougts as she swallowed the protests that were rising in her own throat, the ones that wanted to tell Jackie just what she thought. "So when Kelso walked in, what happened to Hyde?"

"I don't know," moaned the brunette. "He stormed out! I went after him, but he just ignored me and left. I figured he'd have to come home sooner or later, so I decided to come back and wait for him. I didn't want this to happen," her voice started to shake, and soon she was crying. "I love him, Donna," she stated between sobs. "I don't know what I was thinking."

And as she broke down completely, the last few days catching up with her, the only real girl friend she'd ever known moved over towards her and pulled her into a hug while she cried.

"Donna!" the brunette suddenly wailed between sobs. "What if he doesn't come back? What if I never see him again?"

The taller girl patted her friend on the back. "He'll come home," she soothed. "He'll come home."

She didn't know whom she was trying harder to convince: Jackie or herself.


	3. No More Me And You

_NOTES: So. I think this is the longest chapter yet. This story isn't going to be as in depth as I would've liked, but that's because I'm writing a chapter everyday. Maybe after this, I'll do a story more focused on getting inside their heads. After this, I think there will be about three or four chapters, but I haven't really planned out what will happen after chapter five, so anything can happen. Also, if you guys like JH icons, I'm going to be posting a huge post at my icon journal in the next few days (it's linked in my profile). Whether or not I'm any good is up to you. /selfplug. Hehe.  
_

_As always, thanks to who ever reviewed. You're great D_

_I own nothing. This son is "No More Me and You" by Amanda Wilkinson.  
_

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_Yeah, leave me the sweet illusions  
Faith and hope and truth  
If there's ever no more me and you_

_'Cuz I've gotta keep on paying the rent  
And I've gotta keep on making the bed  
And I've gotta keep on walking around acting normal  
And I've gotta keep on saying a prayer  
And I've gotta keep on giving a care  
And I've gotta keep on walking around breathing  
And I don't think I will  
If there's ever no more me and you_

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Jackie rolled over in bed, squeezing her eyes shut and wishing for sleep, as the sun streamed in through the windows and penetrated her eyelids. Today would mark the third week since the Chicago Incident, as it had come to be known, and she didn't want to face the facts.

Like that Steven probably wasn't coming back.

Sighing, she threw back the covers, and pulled her hair back into a ponytail as she made her way into the kitchen. Donna was already sitting there, dressed and engrossed in some novel.

Since her return to Point Place, Jackie hadn't bothered to go back to her own house. She told Donna that it was because she "Needed to teach her how to properly care for and beautify herself," but they both knew it was because of totally different reasons: she needed the support of a friend, and because it would be easier to catch Steven if he tried to sneak into the Forman's basement.

As she opened the fridge and surveyed its contents, she tried to initiate conversation. "Where's your dad?"

Donna shrugged, and took a bite of the apple sitting on the table. "He went to get some cookies, or cake, or something." She didn't move her eyes from the book.

Jackie nodded and fixed some cereal. Sitting down at the table, she stared at her friend. "Donna?" she asked, tenatively.

"Hmm?"

"Steven's not coming back, is he?"

That caught her attention. The redhead's eyes darted quickly from her book to the girl sitting in front of her, stirring her cereal morosely. "I don't know, Jackie," she said quietly. "He'll come back sooner, or later, I guess."

Her friend pried her eyes away from her meal to meet the ones staring at her concernedly. "It's just so strange, you know. No one's heard from him, not you, not Michael, not Fez, or the Formans."

Donna furrowed her eyebrows. She was getting worried about both of them, and she was shocked at the raw pain that still surfaced in her friend's eyes. Concerns for her friend constantly occupied her mind: that Jackie would wallow away here until he came back. If he came back.

Pausing for a moment to gather her thoughts, Jackie wondered if she should mention what had been on her mind for the last little while. "Donna, what if he – what if something's happened to him?" she asked, fearfully, feeling sick just at the thought of it. To imagine him hurt, or dead even was too much to handle.

"Nothing has," the redhead assured her friend, while her mind spun. She had been wondering the same things lately, and mentally slapping herself for even entertaining such an idea. "Think about it," she said. "If something had happened to him, something where he was in danger, they would've gone through his wallet, and contacted someone. Besides," she ended with a slight grin. "Hyde's smart. He knows what he's doing."

"Yeah," Jackie agreed, feeling a bit better. "You're right. But what if he doesn't come back? What if I spend my whole life waiting for him?"

"Do you want to get out of here?"

"Not without him. Or until I talk to him, at least. But I can't waste my whole life in this one horse town. Oh God, Donna, what if he doesn't come back, and I spend my life like the crazy old bag lady who lives on the end of Main Street?"

"You'll have better make-up," the taller girl said, with a slight smile, trying to appeal to Jackie's ego.

The dark haired girl smiled, but it quickly faded. "What do I do?" she moaned, pushing her bowl aside to put her head down on the table.

"You're going to have to decide that," Donna replied. "What if Hyde doesn't come back? I'm not saying he won't," she added hastily. "But do you want to spend your whole life here? Jackie, you've always wanted to do something glamorous, and I'm not sure you'll be able to do that here. Is waiting for him enough for you to put your dreams on hold?"

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Her decision wasn't a rash one; a person could hardly call two weeks of solid thinking "rash." Every little detail was well thought out, the pros and cons of every aspect weighed carefully. She'd gone through anger, disappointment, depression, and apathy, and felt fully prepared for what she was about to do. She had consulted each of her friends, and the people she had come to know as family.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Donna asked as they loaded the last of her bags into the trunk of a waiting taxi.

Jackie nodded, swallowing the lump that rose in her throat. She needed to move on, to start a new life. After five weeks, the object of her attention still hadn't returned, and she'd all but given up hope. She needed to move on.

"Thank you," she acknowledged Donna sincerely, reaching up to hug her friend. "You're my best friend," she said quietly.

As they pulled away, Donna scrutinized the other girl. "Aren't you going to say goodbye to the Formans? And my dad?"

"I did already. And Michael and Fez said they wanted to meet us here." She peered around Donna, only to see the two walking towards them.

"Hey, Jackie, don't I get a hug?" Michael exclaimed, having apparently watched the whole exchange.

She chuckled; some things never change. "Of course!" she replied with a slight giggle as he reached down and picked her up, letting her feet dangle.

"If you ever get lonely," he began. "I'll always be here, ready for some lovin'."

She laughed again as he put her down, which was ironic, as it was some lovin' that had started the whole thing, but it was impossible to stay mad at him.

"Oh, Jackie," Fez said sadly, as she moved towards him. "You led us to believe you were coming home and now you're leaving again."

She smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "I'll be back for Christmas," she addressed all of them.

Kelso interrupted. "Where's my kiss?" he demanded.

Standing on her tiptoes to reach him, she kissed him in the same place she had Fez, catching him off guard, before he could try anything. "There," she replied.

"Good, now kiss Donna," Fez ordered.

For a moment, things felt like they had before, before Eric left, before Steven ran away, before this whole thing started, and for a moment she forgot it all, as she smacked Fez playfully on the arm. "You wish," she grinned, opening the cab door.

"I do," he replied, watching her get in the backseat. "Jackie, don't go!" he cried, as she closed the door.

"I'll miss you guys," she leaned through the open window. "And I'll be home for Christmas, and I expect lots and lots of 'Welcome home' gifts, got that?"

The three waved as the cab started to move, the last picture she had in her mind of her friends, and her home.

And that one image had to last her until the holidays.

_-------------------------------------------------------------------- _

As the taxi passed the sign stating the Point Place city (or was it town?) limits, she realised it was all over. She had known it all along, but now it felt real. Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself before carefully sliding the silver ring off of her left hand and placing it on her right, trying not to remember who had given it to her, who had put it on her finger in the first place.

She was single again.


	4. Gone From Love Too Long

_NOTES: This one took a while. I rewrote the second part. Sorry if it seems a bit vague, it's mainly a filler chapter. There may not be another chapter until around the 28/29th. I leave on holidays on Saturday, and I'm not sure I'll get a chance to update tomorow, what with all the prep stuff.  
_

_Thanks to all you guys who reviewed!_

_I own nothing, the song is "Gone From Love Too Long" by Amanda Wilkinson._

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_Gone from love too long  
There's nothing to be ashamed of  
No way you could have known  
Life was gonna knock you down  
Strip you to the bone  
And leave you all alone  
Girl you've been gone from love too long_

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_

A year had long ago come and gone, the trials weighing heavily down on an overworked girl who had grown up too soon. Love, failures, triumphs, break ups, none of them were strangers to her. Her life in Chicago had begun the year before, where she took up a waitressing position until she could find something a little more stable.

The first weeks had been awful, and it was only with Mrs. Forman's insistence that she accept the money they were intent on forwarding, that she survived. She gained some work experience, built up a little bit of money and then moved one rung up on the ladder of success as she landed a job as a secretary's secretary in a news broadcast office.

They called her position "Secondary Charger", a term she neither understood nor accepted. Getting coffee and answering phones got old quickly, but the only way to move up was to do her job, and do it with a smile.

She missed Christmas in Point Place that year, an unexpected change of plans. But Marvin, the head of the corporation told her he needed her to work Christmas, since she had no family to spend time with. Her protests went unheard until he finally said, "Jackie, show me your children, show me your husband, and I'll give you the day off."

She talked on the phone to Donna almost all night a week later, helping them ring in the New Year, but nothing compared to being there. She had made some new friends in Chicago, but her real ones were the ones at home. Her new friends were just people to spend time with when being on your own got too lonely, when you needed a stranger to pour your heart out too.

She tried not to think about her friends too often, especially on those long evenings when she had chosen to stay at home, while everyone from work went out for drinks. She tried not to think about what her old friends were doing, or who was getting taunted for saying something stupid. And she tried not to think about where Steven was, or how he was faring, because the pain was still to sharp, the thought of living her life without him for the rest of her life still shot a dagger through her chest, and caused her stomach to clench.

And a year later, after wooing her bosses, she was finally a news anchor, had finally achieved what she left home to do.

_-----------------------------------------_

"So you're going to get here on the twenty third, right?"

"Yep. These directions you gave us are a bit vague, though," Donna replied. "But we'll figure it out, I guess."

"Are the Formans coming?"

"I don't think so. Hang on, let me ask Eric." Jackie could hear a muffled Donna yelling to the young man she shared an appartment with, and felt a pang of loneliness, wishing that she had some companionship. But that wasn't important right now – her friends were coming for Christmas! "No," Donna's voice interrupted her thoughts. "They're going on a vacation or something. Eric says that his mum has been bugging Red for a vacation for years now."

"That's too bad, they're going over the holidays!" Jackie mused. "Though, that is the best time to go. What about Michael and Fez?" she continued.

"Fez said he should be able to make it, but Kelso's staying with his family. Suposedly, the whole bunch is coming in for some sort of reunion." She shuddered. "I'm glad I'm not going to be here for that."

"So that's Fez, Eric, you, and me," Jackie counted, trying to sort out everything. "I can manage that!"

"And . . ." Donna hesitated. "Hyde."

Jackie froze. "Who?" she squeaked.

"Hyde."

Taking deep breaths, she tried to steady her jumping heart, and running emotions. A hot fury took ahold of her, and she immediately barked out, "And what makes him think he's welcome here? Which he isn't!"

"Jackie, calm down! He was going to spend Christmas with us, and then you offered, and it completely slipped my mind!"

"How does inviting my ex-fiancé over to my place for Christmas – _without consulting me _– just _slip your mind_?" she asked in disbelief.

"I'm sorry!" Donna knew she was in the wrong. "Look, it won't be as bad as you think."

The brunette swallowed hard, choosing to move onto another aspect. "How did he react when you told him?"

"Well, that's the thing. I haven't really told him, yet. He'd just refuse, Jackie! He doesn't want to see you any more than you want to see him!" Jackie's heart fell here. "But I can't leave him here alone! He's different, now. More cynical, and angry. It's almost scary. To leave him alone would just be . . . awful!"

"What, does he live with you?"

"He has his own appartment."

"Donna, how long has he been back?"

Donna paused, then said quietly, "He came home about a month after you left."

Again, Jackie felt anger flood her body. "Why didn't you tell me?" she demanded.

"I thought you deserved your own life . . . if you'd have known, you would've come back."

"Damn straight, I would've! Donna, it's not up to you to make decisions regarding my life. And about Christmas, I don't care what you do. If you bring Hyde, keep him out of my way." And then she hung up.

Putting her head in her hands, she groaned. There were some glitches in her planned festivities. So what if her best friend hadn't told her that her ex-boyfriend/fiancé had come back to town. And so what if the said person was going to show up at her appartment for Christmas. And so what if he didn't know it, and so what if he didn't want to see her. And so what if she still loved him.

Jackie screamed in frustration. Donna was in _so_ much trouble.


	5. Pontiacs

_NOTES: I managed to get one more up, because I love you guys ). Hehe. I quite like this chapter, it seems like something's finally happening. The next chapter will be more confrontational. Hope you like this chapter!  
_

_ Thanks to those who reviewed!_

_I own nothing. This song is "Pontiacs" by Amanda Wilkinson.  
_

_Never take a trip to way back when.  
'Til the radio plays a certain song  
And it's like a finger on the trigger  
Some old hurts they just hurt bigger.  
Might have gotten past it long ago  
but parts of yesterday ... they get tattooed on your soul_

_------------------------------------------------------- _

"Merry Christmas!" A voice rang from the front door into the small kitchen, where the host was sipping some coffee.

She squealed, and jumped up from her chair, dashing into the living room, and threw her arms around her best friend, all memories of ex-boyfriends forgotten. She hugged the two men standing beside Donna, before chancing a glance behind them, where Steven stood, a blank expression on his face.

"Hey, Hyde," she offered weakly, inwardly rolling her eyes at his curt nod. "Come in," she gestured to all four of them, waving them into her sparsely decorated living room. "I know it's not much," she apologised. "But it's top quality stuff, so you'd better appreciate it."

When everyone was seated, she hovered around nervously. "Do you want anything? Coffee?"

"Coffee, Jackie?" Hyde questioned snidely. "At seven at night?"

She shrugged, determined to not act differently around him. He would get the same treatment as the others – except for any terms of affection. He didn't deserve those. "I picked up the habit at work. Everyone does it."

He didn't leave it. "Because you love to do what everyone else does. Drink coffee, cheat on your boyfriend . . ."

Her stomach flipped. Hatred was better than indifference, it meant that there was something there. Eric was looking around, confused – obviously, Donna hadn't told him much about that night in the hotel. There was a lot Donna wasn't telling people lately, but just then, she was glad. She didn't feel like having another person pity her. Her anger flared up, though, when she thought about how it wasn't Hyde's place to refer to that evening, at all, and was about to shoot a biting remark when the other female interrupted.

"Coffee would be great, Jackie," Donna replied to her previous question, getting up to stand next to her friend. "And do you have any candy or chocolate for Fez? He's going through sugar withdrawl," She added in a whisper.

The girl stared up at the redhead in shock. "He always has candy on him!" she exclaimed. "How in the world is he going through sugar withdrawl?"

Fez moaned. "I forgot it!" he complained. And she – an accusing finger was pointed at Donna. "Wouldn't let me stop to get any!"

Jackie laughed. "So that's two coffees, and some chocolate . . . Eric, do you want anything? _Hyde_?"

"Nah, I'm good," the skinny man replied, his eyes darting quickly to his friend. He knew something was up – had known it since he'd returned from his two month vacation completely worn down, but neither his girlfriend, nor his best friend had offered any details.

Her ex-fiancé gave no answer.

"Right then," she said, moving towards the kitchen, Donna right on her heels. Once they reached their destination, she spun around and faced her friend. "What the hell was that?" she hissed.

"What was what?"

"That! How much do Eric and Fez know?"

Donna shook her head. "I don't know about Fez. Kelso probably told him everything. I didn't tell Eric much, just that you guys had a fight, and Hyde got upset, and stayed away from a while to let off some steam. I doubt he's told Eric much, and the nimrod didn't think to go to Fez or Kelso for information."

Sighing heavily, Jackie leaned against the counter. "What was he doing that whole time?" she finally exclaimed.

The redhead stared at her confusedly. "He was in Africa, teac -"

"Steven."

"Oh. He didn't tell us exactly. Told me he was just wandering. Taking jobs where he could, moving from city to city."

She moved to look for some chocolates in the fridge. "That bastard," she said. "And you!" she spun around, still holding onto the carton of eggs she had been looking behind. "How could you not tell me?"

Donna sighed. "Look, Jackie, I'm really sorry."

"You should be!" she replied hotly.

"Well you seemed to be getting along well here, and I thought -"

"Yeah, Donna, waiting tables is my dream!" she exclaimed sarcastically. "Do you know the amount of greasy people I had to put up with?" Having found the chocolates, she was on to pouring coffee. "I could've been back home, trying to work things out between me and him!"

"You wouldn't have been able to," Donna said quietly, grabbing her cup. "He was so mad, Jackie. I think a lot of it was hurt converted into anger. For the longest time, whenever we mentioned you, he would just leave. I've never seen him like that before! That night must have really screwed him up."

Jackie sighed, and took a sip of her beverage to calm her nerves. "Whatever," she said with a sigh. "I forgive you. This isn't worth arguing about. Besides!" she added with a squeal. "It's Christmas! And Christmas means presents. You'd better have gotten me something good," she threatened.

Donna smiled wryly. "As if I forgot," she said with a laugh.

_------------------------------------------------------- _

"Well this has been great," Hyde said sarcastically, later on that night as he got up from his spot on the couch. "But I'm going to go sleep. Forman, give me your keys."

"What?" Eric looked up in shock. "No way, man. You'll probably pick up some hooker, and I'm not cleaning out the car again because you can't control yourself!"

The other man rolled his eyes. "Relax, I'm looking for a hotel. And besides, I have class. If I picked up a hooker, we'd find somewhere better than your car. Guess I'm walking, then," he said, walking towards the front door.

"No, wait!" Jackie said suddenly, mentally hitting herself after. Why did she want him to stay here so badly, anyways? "You can't stay in a hotel!" Her tone was protesting. Why couldn't he stay in a hotel, again? Quickly, she raked her mind for an answer.

"Why not?" he asked, now looking at her, with one eyebrow raised.

_Quick, something – anything! _"Because it's the holidays, and everyone should be with their family -" she winced inwardly, "Friends -" Another flinch. "With people," she finished lamely.

"I think I'll pass," he said, turning around again.

Jackie glanced frantically at Donna, hoping she would be able to save her. "Hyde! Jackie just wants her first Christmas at her apartment to be with all of us, isn't that right, Jackie?" She nodded fervently. "And . . . if you go, we won't all be together!"

"That's the lamest thing I've ever heard, Donna. I'll see you guys tomorrow." And he was out the door in three steps.

"Right . . ." the redhead finished. "That was a waste."

"Why did you even want Hyde to stay?" Fez questioned, gazing longingly at the empty chocolate box in front of him. "I thought you hated him?"

"I don't know, Fez," she answered honestly. "I have no idea. It must be like Donna said – I just want us all to be together, and well, we're not." She stood up. "I'm sorry, I'm going to go to bed. You all can stay up, though . . . I'll get you blankets, you can scrap for the couch."

Moving towards the hallway to get the proper sleeping accessories, she pressed two fingers to her temple. This was ridiculous. So what if she still liked – loved him? She didn't have to be obvious about it. _I can't help it, _a nagging voice said. _I want his attention._

_------------------------------------------------------- __  
_

She was up making breakfast early the next morning, staring at the cookbook like it was insane. "Fried eggs!" she exclaimed. "What cookbook doesn't say how to make fried eggs?"

Donna came stumbling into the kitchen, her hair messed up, and eyes groggy. "What the hell are you doing, Jackie?" she asked.

"Oh shoot!" the younger girl cried. "Did I wake you up?"

Donna nodded. "The other two are sleeping like rocks, though. What are you doing?"

Frustrated, Jackie slammed the cookbook shut and angrily shoved the eggs back into the fridge. "Frying eggs," she stated. "Except I don't know how, and this thing -" a jab towards the cookbook. "Isn't any use!"

The redhead chuckled, and went fishing after the eggs. "I'll handle breakfast," she promised. "You make coffee." Jackie let out an angry sigh, and started on her job. "How'd you manage to live by yourself for a year, anyway?" her friend asked, with a teasing tone.

"I survived on takeout, raw fruits and vegetables and microwaveable crap. I swear to God, I need to learn how to cook."

Donna laughed, and the two didn't say another word as the smell of frying eggs filled the room.

_------------------------------------------------------- _

While the other three ate – she had already finished her meal – Jackie pulled the three blankets and pillows into the hallway, and began shoving the latter into the small closet. She didn't notice the door open, nor did she notice the figure stop in the threshold, and stare at her.

"Shit," she muttered as her silver ring got caught in one of the afghans. As she twisted it off her finger, and tried to untangle it, she didn't notice Hyde slip behind her, looking interestingly at what she was doing.

Finally getting the ring free, she held it in her left hand for a while, just looking at it, and soon picked it up to gaze at the diamond. With a sigh, she slid it back on her right had, just before he slipped away and into the living room.


	6. Something Else

_ NOTES: I'm baaaack! This chapter came out nothing like I thought it would . . . and I lied a little bit. The confrontation scene will take place next chapter. Or the chapter after that. I don't know. Anyways, I'm kinda worried about this one . . . I found it a bit skippy, like it moves really fast. Tell me what you think. Also, I thought up a new idea for a new JH story, when this one finishes. It'd be one of those really AU stories, but I'd take more time with it. Tell me if you're interested._

_Oh, and I had no idea of what you could do in Chicago on Xmas Eve, so I just looked up something for this year.  
_

_ And, wow, thanks to everyone who added this to their faves, or alerts, or reviewed! THere was an overwhelming response to the last chapter, you should've seen me when I got to the internet on THursday and opened my emails. I was grinning like mad._

_I own nothing. The song is "Something Else" by Amanda Wilkinson_

_---------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

There's something in the fire  
You start each time you hold me  
Something in the way I melt  
I just know one thing  
It's nothing like I've ever felt  
Boy this ain't just something  
This is really something else

_---------------------------------------------------------------------------------__  
_

With a final shake of her head, Jackie finished what she was doing, and quietly shut the closet door. She made her way into the kitchen, where Donna was leaning against the counter, reading the paper, and the other three were at the table eating.

"So," she began, stopping abruptly when she saw the curly haired man at her table. "Hyde, when did you get here?" she asked abruptly, her heart skipping a beat as she realised she had sat out in the hallway looking at her ring.

_He couldn't have seen it, _she reassured herself. _He probably walked in and didn't even notice me standing there – he would've said something if he did see me._

"Just now." His answer was short, and to the point. Just enough that it wasn't rude, but only barely. Jackie gave him one last look as he dug into the eggs that Donna had cooked.

"Right," she replied, gathering her wits. "So I was thinking about what we're going to do today, and I figured that none of you three -" and accusing hand gestured to the men sitting at the table. "Have started your shopping yet, so -"

Donna's voice interrupted her. "They're done," she informed the other girl with a smirk. "I made them go. And then I went through everything to make sure they didn't buy anything stupid. They're like a bunch of ten year olds," she added to Jackie in a whisper.

The latter furrowed her eyebrows. Spending the day shopping, even if it was Christmas Eve and the malls were going to be crazy seemed like a good idea to her. Seeing her friend's reaction, the redhead hurried to mention what she had planned to do. "I saw a billboard for some sort of outdoor market," she suggested. "It's open today. I thought we could go have a look around . . . there's lots to do, we could probably spend the day there."

Jackie's face brightened. "Oh, good idea, Donna!" she exclaimed. "I was there just last week, there's tons of stuff to do!"

"Like what?" Hyde interrupted. "See Christmas fairies dance around asking you to buy crap? It's not worth freezing my nads off."

"I'm with Hyde," Eric inputted, through a mouthful of egg.

Donna rolled her eyes. "There's beer," she said flatly.

"I'm in!" Three voices chorused, as the redhead winked at her friend.

_---------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

"Donna, this is the dumbest thing I've ever been too," Hyde stated, as the wandered around the booths. "Where the hell is Fez?"

"It's not that bad," the redhead said with an eye roll. "And he saw a chocolate booth about ten minutes ago. I haven't seen him since."

"Whatever. I should've known this would be bad. I mean, who sells beer that's room temperature? How do they even _do that_ when it's twenty five below zero? And why did you let your boyfriend loose here? You know that your Christmas present will be the cheapest thing he can find here, right?"

She rolled her eyes. "It's the only way I can ensure it's not Star Wars related. And if you're so pissed off, why don't you just leave? I need to find Eric a present, anyways, and it'd be so much easier if you weren't here, whining about everything." Reaching into her purse, she handed him a key. "Here's the key to Jackie's apartment. If you trash her place, I will kick your ass."

He raised one eyebrow, not really intimidated. "I have better things to do with my time." He slid the key into his pocket. "Why the hell did she give you a key, anyways?"

Donna shrugged. "She said she had some errands to run, and that she may be gone when we got back. She also said not to give it to any of you guys, so you touch any of her things, and it's my head on the chopping block."

"Who runs errands on Christmas Eve?" Then, glancing around, he turned and began to walk towards the street. "She probably just didn't want to come back here!" he yelled over his shoulder. An eye roll and a sigh of annoyance were his only response.

_---------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

Shaking the snow out of his hair, Hyde let himself into his ex girlfriend's apartment, hanging his coat on the hook by the door, sighing as the wave of warm air engulfed him. He was looking forward to an afternoon of being alone and watching TV, and possibly raiding the refrigerator now and then.

"You're back already?" Jackie's voice came from the living room, and he let out a long string of choice words. "Where's everyone else?" she asked suspiciously, as she walked into the hallway and saw only him.

He rolled his eyes as he pushed past her. "I killed them and dumped them in the sewer," he said, sarcasm dripping in his voice.

Marching towards him, she stood between Hyde and the TV, her hands planted firmly on her hips. "Where are they?" she demanded.

"They're still at the thing," he said, trying to look around her. "I couldn't stand it any longer, so I took a cab back."

Sitting back down on the floor, she continued to wrap the present she bought for Fez. "There," she declared as she put the last piece of tape on, and added it to the pile of gifts sitting beside her. "I'm done!"

_This is ridiculous,_ she thought as she gathered up all the wrapping paper, tape, and scissors. _He's ignoring me! Still!_ They were going nowhere fast, and she was damned if she was going to let him leave again without figuring out why he was still treating her like crap.

"Hyde?" she asked kindly, standing up with her arms full of bows and paper. "Do you mind putting those gifts over there? My arms are full." she bent her head towards the modest plant she had decorated as much as she could.

A grunt from him.

"Thank you!" she called, as she went to put everything away. When she came back, everything was how she'd left it. Annoyance coursed through her, as she stared at the figure sitting comfortably on her couch. He was a guest in her house! The least he could do was move some presents for her!

"Hyde!" she barked. "I asked you to move those gifts for me!"

"Your arms are empty now," he said monotone.

"It's the principle of the matter!" she threw her hands in the air out of frustration. "Why are you being such a jerk, anyways?"

"How am I being a jerk?" he exclaimed, getting off the couch, and staring down at her furiously. "I didn't even want to be here! Hell, I'd rather spend my Christmas alone than with you!"

Her heart fell, and her stomach clenched. "Right," she whispered, her eyes fixed on the floor. "Get out, then." Her voice was strong and loud, then, her eyes darted up quickly to his face, and remained there. "Get out," she repeated, her voice louder, angrier. "I didn't even know you were back!" she yelled when he didn't move. "No one bothered to tell me!"

"Maybe it's because no one cared!" he shot back.

Anger lit up her eyes, and she stepped closer, ready to slap him.

He caught her wrist just seconds before her hand came in contact with his face. His left hand was warm around her wrist, and their eyes remained fixed on one another while he smirked.

They were too close – closer than they had been in a year and a half. His anger had him breathing hard, and she could feel his breath on her face, and was sure it was the same for him. She forgot the fury directed at him, and slowly placed her left hand on his face. When he didn't react, she began to move, her fingertips brushing over his eyebrow, her thumb stroked across his lips.

And as if the last year hadn't happened, he pulled her to him roughly, and pressed his lips against hers. They stayed like that for a while, lips moving against each other, her hands running up and down his sides, on his chest, resting only when her fingers managed to hook onto two of his front belt loops. He moved his hands down her back, and around to her chest.

She held his face as she pulled away, just enough to gasp, "My room." He gave a curt nod as they stumbled down the hall, never breaking contact.


	7. She Blinds Him

_NOTES: Originally, I meant for this and the next chapter to be one. But I got way behind schedule, so I decided to get this one up, and hopefully, get the next up tonight. And everything that happens at the end of this one WILL be explained._

_Thanks for reading and reviewing!_

_Disclaimer: I own nothing. I took some lines directly from the show. The song is "When You Call My Name" by Paul Brandt._

_--------------------------------------------------------------  
_

_I hear the sweetest sound  
My world stops turnin round  
Like I'm on Holy Ground  
When you call my name  
It sets the sky on fire  
Burning with my desire  
Stronger deeper higher  
When you call my name_

_--------------------------------------------------------------__  
_

The next few days passed uneventfully: Christmas was a small affair, despite Jackie's strides to make it as jovial as possible. They had a small gift exchange the morning before, and spent the rest of the day doing practically nothing while Jackie sweated in the kitchen preparing a meal that didn't turn out. The holiday hadn't held quite the splendor it had other years, and Hyde knew that the host was taking a large part of the blame. It was a bit strange, he had overheard her tell Donna, having her friends thrust into her life again, all of a sudden. Not that she hadn't kept in touch with them, but that she hadn't seen them for a year and a half, and then they were thrown into some new place with her, who had spent most of her time alone. There was a gap between them and her that was inevidible; something that's bound to come up when friends are seperated, and even he could feel it. Bridging that gap is like re learning something you knew once, but forgot. The knowledge is there, but you have to grasp it.

And things had become more awkward between the two. The anger towards one another was still there, but it lay hidden beneath the surface, covered by a mask of fake friendliness – when they had to interact at all.

But it was all over now – that one afternoon had been nothing more than emotions running high and pent up lust.

It was Boxing Day now, and time to say goodbye. Hyde watched as Jackie hugged the other three, before turning to him, and he couldn't help but wonder if she'd hug him too. But instead, she offered him a smile, a slight nod, and a, "'Bye Steven. Take care of yourself, alright?"

_Steven._ It had been the first time he'd heard her say his name in regular conversation since that night in the hotel. _Steven._ A flood of memories came rushing back to him.

. . . _Steven, how was your first day of work _. . . _Say flowchart again _. . . _Steven, I'm so glad we're back together _. . . _Jackie, I do want to be with you _. . . _You're beautiful . . . It's a real waste because I love you . . . You're with me now, so I want you to have it . . . Jackie and I might be together for a while . . . Don't worry, you're gonna find someone great . . . _

"Hyde?" Eric's voice shook him out of his reverie. "You coming, man?" He was standing in the hallway, looking at his friend curiously through the open door. "Donna and Fez are already at the elevator."

"Right." He shook his head, trying to clear his mind. Turning to Jackie, who was also staring at him strangely, he said a quick thanks, and followed Eric to where his other two friends were.

"Happy holidays," their host called after them, and shut the door quietly. And as hard as he tried, he couldn't keep her voice out of his head.

_Oh Steven, I miss you so much . . . Look, we're alone right now . . . I bet you clean up real good . . . I choose you . . . I baked you these cookies . . . I won't be kissing anyone . . . Steven, I asked him to leave . . . Yes, I'll marry you . . . Please, listen to me . . . _

He shut his eyes briefly, opening them only when he heard the door to the elevator open. This was ridiculous – her voice in his head. He thought he was over her. That afternoon had been nothing . . .

_I think it's a real waste, because I love you. _

_Because I love you._

_I love you._

Damnit. He had to go talk to her. For her sake. As the elevator descended, a thick silence descended on the four, and he had a minute to sort out his thoughts.

"Hey Forman," he called his friend aside as they loaded up the car. "I think I'm going to stay here a while," he said in low tones. "I've heard there's some really great places to go on New Years Eve."

Eric glanced at him, cautiously. "Hyde, the last time you were here, you didn't come home for a two months!"

He gave his friend an annoyed look. "I know how to take care of myself," he replied snidely.

"Of course you can," he said with an eye roll. "Come on, I'll give you a lift to your motel."

_--------------------------------------------------------------_

An hour after her friends had left, a knock at her door interrupted Jackie. With a heavy sigh, she put down her nail polish and walked towards the door, and a sliver of hope ignited in her when she saw who it was.

"Steven . . . what's going on?" She opened the door, and invited him in. He didn't move much past the door he closed, and she stood a couple of feet away from him.

_Steven, what are you doing here?_

Neither of them could move. He froze, had no idea what to say. He didn't even know why he'd come back. Why _had_ he come back? This was stupid. They had both moved on; she didn't want him any more, and he'd be damned if he wanted her. She had cheated on him, for Christ's sake, discarded him as quickly as she could. She didn't care about him, she never had.

A wave of anger washed over him. She'd had him fooled. For so many years, now, she'd blinded him. This was insane. He didn't need her – she hadn't been there the last year, had she? He was doing fine. She was the one who had always needed someone, she was the one who had singlehandedly destroyed their relationship. It was her fault he was there, it was her fault everything had ended.

He turned around to stomp out, but not before something caught his eye. Something diamond. Spinning back around, he pointed an accusing finger at her. "You're still wearing my ring," he spit.

How dare she? He should've gotten that ring; he should've pawned it by now. It was just another gift, another shiny thing she had to add to her collection. Another trophy for her.

She stared at him, unmovingly, with a steady gaze. The next words she said threw him for a loop, and he wouldn't have predicted them if his life depended on it.

"I still love you."

_LIAR! _His mind screamed at him. But one part, the part so far back that he wasn't sure still existed; the part that she had reached, responded to her words with something totally different.

_Me too._

_But I can't forgive you._


	8. Hypocracy and Assumptions

_NOTES: So this took a little while to get out. If anything seems . . . off, it's because I have no idea where I'm going with this. I'm going blind after chapter 7. _

_I own nothing. The song is "The Art of Letting go" by Amanda Wilkinson_

_Thanks to you guys who reviewed! I really appreciate it!_

_------------------------------------------------------------------- _

_If you will, we'll hold on tight  
Face to face, we'll win this fight  
If you leave, baby leave real slow,_  
'_Till I master the art of letting go_

_------------------------------------------------------------------- __  
_

"I still love you."

There it was. It was out there, for him to take it as he liked. Everything was in his hands now.

"Liar." His voice was small, not much more than a mere whisper. "You can't always use that to get what you want, Jackie." The tone of his voice was getting stronger, and more vehement. "I think it's a real waste because I love you!" he exclaimed, in a high pitched imitation of her. "It worked then," he said with a smirk. "It's not going to work now."

He didn't believe her. He wasn't one to talk, either. "You're such a hypocrite!" she yelled. "You did the same damn thing, except I wasn't just saying it to get you back! I said it because it was true! But you," she fumed. "You loved me so much that you couldn't even wait for me! What was her name? Rachel?"

"Raquel," Hyde said quietly, but either she didn't hear, or she ignored him, and continued to rant.

"God, you ditched me for some girl named Rachel?"

"Raquel."

"I mean, Rachel is a fat girl's name!"

"Raquel!" His voice was loud now, his eyes piercing behind his glasses.

She stared at him in fury. "You remember her name? How many years ago was that? Hell," she continued. "You probably remember the names of all your skank-hoe dates!"

He smirked. "I remember your name."

"GodDAMNit, Hyde!" she exclaimed. "That's why things never were going to work out for us! You can't stop antagonising me for the amount of time it takes for you to look at your life and think about what you're planning to do with it!"

"I did!" He yelled back at her. "I was ready to -" he swallowed quickly, as if he still didn't believe, a year and a half later, what he had done. "Marry you! You screwed it up, Jackie. You screwed it up the minute you had sex with Kelso! You screwed it up the minute you left Point Place!"

She looked down at her feet for a minute, then looked back up at him, and he was surprised to see that her eyes were filled with regret. "I never slept with Michael," she said quietly.

He scoffed. She was trying to squirm her way out of it. "Don't lie to me," he said flatly. "Even if you didn't that night, you did before. How long were you doing it for?" he asked, then laughed hollowly. "I should've known. You were cheating on me the whole time, weren't you?" Hyde waited for her to answer, wondering if it hurt more to know that she had done it, or that he had let her.

Her stomach felt empty. Is that what he thought? Was he really so insecure as to think that she was cheating on him? Her eyes widened. "Is that what you think?" she asked. "You think I was cheating on you the whole time? I thought we were through this! I promise you, I never cheated on you!"

"How do I know that?" he demanded. "How do I know you're not lying about the whole thing?"

Taking a step towards him, she took his face in her hands. "I swear on Fluffycake's life, Steven. I never cheated on you." That little nagging voice in the back of her mind reminded her that it was only going to be worse when she told him exactly what her and Michael were doing, he was going to say she lied, she was going to insist she didn't, but at that moment, the most important thing was getting him to believe that she _hadn't_ been cheating on him.

And, looking down into her eyes, with nothing but a thin piece of glass between them, he knew she was telling the truth. She was never a good liar, anyways. Stutters, and confusion always gave her away. But it still wasn't enough. "What were you doing, then?" he shot. "In the hotel room?"

She took a deep breath, and, taking his hand, led him into her living room. She gestured for him to sit down, and took a seat next to him. "I'll tell you," she began. "But you have to promise not to interrupt until I'm done." He tensed up. If she was telling him flat out not to interrupt her, it was something he wasn't going to like.

He stared at her like she was crazy. "No deal."

"Fine," she sighed. "Listen to me, though. I was really out of it that night. I didn't know what I was doing. All I could think about was that my boyfriend – ex-boyfriend – was passed out, drunk, before he had to make the decision that was going to change the rest of my life. And instead of making that decision, he drank."

"Jackie, get to the point," Hyde said, irritated that she was bringing all of this back up. Like she was trying to remind him that he'd done something wrong before she'd admit that she had as well.

"So," she continued, ignoring him. "I was really lonely. And I was homesick, too. And Michael was there." He kept his eyes fixed on her, wondering if she had learned to lie along with broadcast. "And he kissed me. And I didn't push him away, because he reminded me of a time when things were simpler – when I didn't have you fighting with me, and when I wasn't in Chicago, about to start a new life. So I kissed him back."

Hyde stood up abruptly. "Whatever," he said, moving for the door, but something made him stop. "So all that?" he asked. "What you said in the hallway, it was all a lie?"

"No, Steven!" Jackie exclaimed, getting up from her place on the couch to take his hands. "I never cheated on you! I never slept with Michael!"

"You kissed him," he snarled.

"We were broken, up, though," she protested. "I left you. I was free to kiss who I want!"

His laugh was dry. "No, Jackie. Leaving someone because you _think_ you know what they're going to tell you does not make it a break up. We were still together at that point."

"I did nothing wrong!" she exclaimed. "You – you cheated on me. You had sex with another woman!"

"Haven't you figured it out? I did the same thing you did. I _assumed_ you were cheating on me with him. You _assumed_ I'd say no. You can't base anything on assumptions, Jackie. You'll just end up screwed."


	9. Don't Twist my Words

NOTES: I know this is short, and a little incomplete. I just really wanted to get this done before classes start again. Someday, I may go back and edit it, but for now, I just wanted to finish. I never really got into this again after I went on holidays. But, whatever. I've got a few oneshots in mind, and maybe another chapter fic (it'd be the hugest mish mash of cliches ever), so tell me if you're interested in those. Of course, I'd actually take my time, so they'd probably work better than this one does : P. Also, if you like making icons, visit the newly made MILAICONS linked on my profile.

Anyways, thank you SO MUCH to you guys who reviewed, you really made this an enjoyable experience. I owe you tonnes.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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A heavy silence lay over the two as they stared furiously at each other. Finally, Hyde swallowed and said, "So if you only kissed him, why was he in a towel?"

Never taking her eyes off his, she replied. "I never said I had never planned to have sex with him."

"And the ice?" His eyes were colder now, his voice harder.

"I needed to stall. Needed some time to think, to make sure that was what I really wanted." She locked her fingers nervously. He wasn't responding, and her mind was racing. This had to be it. They couldn't keep going like this – each time they met again was filled with unresolved sexual tension. And each time, they were going to fight. They couldn't keep this up their whole lives.

His voice, just as cold and rough as before, interrupted her thoughts. "Was it what you wanted, then?" he asked, his eyes boring into hers. "Was it?" he demanded again, when she didn't answer right away.

"No. I never really wanted him, not for anything emotional. I mean, I did, at one time," she added hastily, noting his raised eyebrows. "But not anymore, and I haven't for a long time. Not since he ran off to California. I guess I realised then that he didn't want me, and we could never work out."

"Then why'd you do it?"

She snapped. After all the things he had done, all the things he had said, he was giving her the hard time?

"Does it really matter?" her voice was getting louder. "Does it really matter to you? Because no matter what I'll say, you'll find some way to twist my words on me and get angry, and march out of here. Then, in five years, we'll meet again, and the same damn thing will happen. God, after everything you've said, everything you've done, you think you have a right to get mad at me?"

"After everything I've done to you?" he asked incredulously. "What about yourself? What about calling Kelso your boyfriend? What about when you sat with him after promising me you wouldn't be alone with him?"

"That's the best you can come up with?" she was livid. "How many times did we break up because of something you did, or something you didn't do, or say, or weren't willing to do? You know what?" she sighed angrily, knowing what she had to do. "This is it. I don't know why you came here again – but this is how it's always going to be. Unless we get back together."

He didn't say anything as she paused, gathering up all her thoughts. He remained stone faced, emotionless, even as she began to speak again.

"So we're done. But if you really want to be with me -" she stopped to take a breath. "If you really want to be with me, you'll stay here, with me, in Chicago, and work all this out. No matter how long it takes – and it will take a long time – you'll stay with me."

And for the second time that day, she felt like her future was in his hands, and she grabbed them and held on tight, trying to convey all of her thoughts, all of her emotions, to him. She tried to get him to understand. "I love you, Steven," she said softly. "I'll do this. But only if you will, too – I won't bother if you're just going to be an ass about it. You have to promise me that you'll at least try."

Hyde took a moment to think, retaliation heavy on his lips. But images flashed through his mind – coming home to an empty apartment, the grungy motel rooms spread across the country, the note she wrote him, the football game, the night before graduation . . .

He could act like he didn't care, but all those times, he'd missed her. Wanted her back. Wanted to kiss her, and pretend the whole thing never happened.

But this was different. This was bigger, this was real. If he messed this up – _Jackie, I don't know_­ – they would be finished. For good, and not even Kelso or Fez would be able to fix things for them.

He may not have been sure about what he wanted, but he knew what he didn't want. And he didn't want to have to miss her – wish for her – again.

"Jackie," he said, looking down at her, staring back at him hopefully. He swallowed hard. "I want to stay."

A smile broke out on her face, and she gingerly wrapped her arms around his neck. They were going to fight – she knew that – and they were going to hate each other sometimes – she knew that too – and they were probably going to bring up some issues neither knew existed. But they were willing to work it out, and to her, that was all that mattered.


End file.
